Ore-separator



gm Whom 303027? 0602102166 ORE SEPARATOR.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH oooMBEs, on PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO THE COOMBES MINING AND DRY MINERAL sEPARAToR'ooMPANY, on BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ORE-SEP ARATOR;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,440, dated April 2, 1889.

Application filed May 12, 1888. Serial No. 273,657. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern.

Be it known that I,JOSEPH OOOMBES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ore-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in ore-separators of that form in which the pul- IO verized ore is fed to a hollow trunk and the lighter earth particles are separated from the heavier particles of metal by an ascending blast of air, which carries the lighter earth particles with it, while the heavier metallic particles drop from their greater specific gravity, andare separated for treatment by concentration.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination ofv devices that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical central sectional View of an ore-separator embodyingmy improvements. Fig. 2 is a trans- 2 5 verse sectional view of the same, taken on the line as m of Fig. 1. V

A represents a hollow cylinder or case, which is inclinedat a suitable angle. It may be either straight or slightly curved, and is supported upon a box, B, having a drawer, C.

The lower end of the cylindrical case A communicates with the interior of the boX. At the upper end of the cylinder is an exhaustfan, D, the case of which communicates with the upper end of the caseA on one side of the same, and in the upperend of the case A is a damper, E, by means of which the strength of the current of air maybe regulated. Near the upper end of the cylindrical case A is a screen, F.

On one v.side of the case A, near the lower end thereof, is located a hopper, G, which communicates with the case A through an opening, H. This hopper is provided with a slide, I, which is adapted to either partly or entirely close the opening I-I, so as to regulate the quantity of pulverized ore which is fed from the hopper into the lower portion of the case A. The hopper .is also provided with a lid or cover, K.

L represents an interior cylindrical case,

which is of considerably less diameter than the' case A, and is located within the same, being supported therein by a series of transverse bars, M, which extend from the inner case to the outer case and are arranged at suitable and regular distances apart. The upper end of the interior case extends nearly to the screen F, and is rounded, and the lower end of the said interior case extends slightly below the inlet-opening H, and is also rounded. The interior case, L, is further provided with perforations N, which extend throughout its entire length, which allow free ingress of aircurrents to the interior case.

On the outer side of the interior case, L, are a number of pockets, 0, having inclined sides and provided at their upper sides with screens P. The said pockets communicate with the interior of the case L through openings R, which are made in the sides thereof.

S represents a series of similar pockets, which are located on the inner side of the interior case, L, and are arranged at suitable regular distances apart, and the said pockets S are provided at their upper ends with screens T and communicate with the interior of the case A through openings V, which are made in the sides of the case L. At the upper end of the exterior case, A, on the side opposite the damper E, is a man-hole covered by a plate, W, bolted or otherwise suitably secured thereto in such a manner as to prevent air from escaping through the man-hole.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The exl1austfan is set in operation by a suitable motor, and causes a strong current of air to be drawn upward through the case and to escape from the case of the fan, as illustrated' by the arrows in Fig. l. The pul- 9o verized ore is fed from the hopper through theopening H into the lower portion of the case A, and iscaught by the blast of air and carried upwardly in the said case. The perforated interior cylinder causes the particles of ore to become distributed by striking against its sides. The bars M break up the air-currents and cause an agitation of the flying particles of ore. While the metallic particles are suspended in the air-currents, owing to their greater specific gravity, they seek a descent, and are caught by the pockets 0 on the outer sides of the cylindrical case L, and are conveyed to the interior of said case through the openings R, and they pass through the screens '1 into the pockets S on the inner side of the interior case, and are directed thereby through the openings N into the outer case again. During the descent of the metallic particles they are subjected to the constant winnowing action of the blast of air, and finally settle in the drawer C. The screen F prevents the particles of precious metal from escaping through the case of the exhaust-fan with the air and the light earthy particles of the ore.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a dry separator, the combination of the exhaust-fan, the exterior case, A, and the perforated case L, located within the same and provided with the internal and external pockets, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the exl1aust-fan,tl1e exterior case, A, the perforated case L, located within the same, the pockets 0 on the outside of the interior case and communicating with the interior thereof, and the pockets L and communicating with the exterior thereof, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the exterior case, A, having the hopper G, the box B at the lower end of case A, the screen F in the upper end of said case, the exhaust-fan, the (lttmPGLE to regulate the strength of the current, the perforated case L, located in the case A, the bars M, connecting the interior and exterior cases, and the pockets 0 and S on the outer and inner sides of the case L, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

'. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH COOMBES. \Vitnesses:

P. J. LARRABEE, THOMAS BAKER. 

